Shikamaru had never felt so sleepy in his whole life. Ever. Not even during his Theoretical Introduction to the Maintenance of Weapons classes on academy: he and his bride-to-be were doing the seat arrangements for the wedding reception.

For some reason that Shikamaru couldn't understand, Temari had become externally outraged when he said that everyone should sit wherever they wanted to. She said that was customary to spend a ridiculous amount of time trying to decide if the X table was suitable for family Y. This 'custom' was giving Shikamaru a big time headache.

"So, for the main table we have you, me, your mother, your best man Choji, Kankuro and my 'maid' of honor, Gaara." Temari announced. She took a sip of the already cold tea she had made them when they started the meeting.

Shikamaru held back a laugh. "Did your brother really said yes to that?"

"Of course, he loves me."

"Yeah, but don't you think is a bit humiliating for the Kazekage himself to be the maid of honor?"

"Well, we can't call him 'bride's best man', it sounds... kinky." Temari explained then she blushed and looked down to her notebook full of tables drawings and names. "And I don't have female friends, you know that."

Shikamaru petted her hair. "Don't say that. There's a lot of girls who adore you."

Temari eyed him skeptically. "Yeah, such as...?"

"Oh, huh... Aiko-chan loves you!"

The blond laughed. "That's right, because a child is always the best choice to maid of honor."

Shikamaru lied down on the floor and stared at the ceiling. "What about Kurenai-sensei then?"

She sighed. "I do like her, but... I don't know, it doesn't feel right: the only thing that bound us is her daughter. And you."

"Ino." He suggested.

Temari looked at him like he had just puked on the floor.

"What?"

"Ino. She's a good choice, isn't she?"

"Are you kidding me? We hate each other!"

That shocked him. "Seriously? I thought you're friends!"

"We're always arguing! How can you say that?"

"Well... Sakura and Ino are always arguing." Shikamaru frowned. "And they are best friends. Is not that way female friendship works?"

"No! They are always teasing each other, not arguing. It's a completely different situation."

"Are you sure? I'm pretty she likes you. You

should ask her."

Temari narrowed her eyes. "Why are you being so pushy about it?"

"I'm not being pushy. She wasn't even my first suggestion, I just think you two should get along."

"You don't need to fix me up with your little lady friend just because you think I'm incapable of making friends!" She snapped, suddenly getting on her feet with her arms crossed.

'Oh, boy...' Shikamaru thought, sitting up.

"Temari..."

"Don't Temari me. This insistence can have two possible meanings: or you really don't think I can make friends on my own or you really want Ino to have a prominent function. Which one is it."

Shikamaru frowned. "What? Well, Ino is one of my best friends, of course I would like her to have such a role, but that's not really my..."

"Oh, oh, if that's the case why don't we ask her TO BE THE BRIDE!"

Oh, boy. Oh, boy.

"Wh... Wha... Wha... I don't even know what I'm supposed to say." Shikamaru scratched the back of his head. "And Ino is already married, you know that."

"So what, now? I'm your plan B?"

He finally understood. "Oh, my God! Are you jealous? Of Ino?"

She narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"Look, darling, you should know you don't have too. I've never..."

"You know what, leave. Now."

"Huh?"

"Get out!" She pointed to the door so enthusiastically that her elbow snapped a bit.

"This is my house!" He answered getting up to face her.

Temari turned around. "Fine, I'll leave." She rushed to the door hearing Shikamaru talk:

"Temari. This is silly. Come back."

She closed up her eyes and walked through the front door just to bump into someone and fall back on the floor.

"Ouch!"

"Oops, I'm sorry, Temari-san." Said Sai reaching out to help her got up.

"Thanks, and it was my fault. I wasn't really looking out where I was going." She said as she got up.

"It's cool. I'm just to invite you guys over to dinner. Is my mother-in-law's birthday, and..."

"Who's there?" Asked Shikamaru, who had decided to chase after Temari, despite how troublesome that would be. "Oh, hey, Sai. What's up?"

"I was just telling your fiancée that Ino and I are throwing a small dinner to celebrate Ino's mother's birthday. It would be very nice if you, your mom and Temari-san could come." He invited with a nice smile.

"Oh, uh, huh..." Shikamaru was lost for words again.

"We would love to!" Temari answered for him. "And I think Yoshino-san will come too. I will ask her when she comes back from the grocery store."

Sai renewed his smile. "Okay. See you later, Temari-san, Shikamaru."

And he left.

Temari closed the front door, took off her shoes again and walked back to the living room where she was before like nothing happened.

Shikamaru just followed her, too afraid to ask anything.

Temari slid her index finger across the drawing of the main table. She took a breath.

"I think I should... try to be friends with Ino." The young woman sighed. "And this dinner seems like a good opportunity for that."

Shikamaru was still afraid to ask, but the curiosity got the better of him:

"What changed your mind?" He asked at the same time she leaned against him, cuddling herself on his chest.

"I'm not sure. I guess that seeing her husband made it pretty clear that I was being ridiculous and overreacting."

Shikamaru put an arm around her and waited for her to keep talking.

"I know that I have no reason to get jealous of her but... I don't know. It bothers me that a pretty woman is such a big part of your life."

It was Shikamaru's turn to sigh. "The Akimichi, Yamanaka and Nara clans were always close. And they were brought closer by the original InoShikaChō. So yes, Ino and I, by birth, are bound by tradition and friendship."

He grabbed her face in his hands to look into her eyes.

"But you, and you alone, are the one I chose to bind myself with. You will be part of my clan's tradition too." Shikamaru brought her face even closer. "You are my destiny."

That softened Temari's heart.

"Gosh, I think that is the longest sentence I ever heard you say." She joked.

"You know me, I would go through all the trouble of saying it if I didn't think you're worth."

The blond smiled then kissed him deeply.

"I love you. I really do. But..." She got up again. "I gotta start getting ready soon. I have a maid of honor to get."

At the dinner, Temari sat with Shikamaru near Sai and Ino. The bride-to-be really did try hard to ignore Ino's little comments that pissed her off, as for the possible maid of honor couldn't understand why Temari wasn't responding to the picayune on the usual way. Ino didn't know how to deal with this new Temari.

"Okay, I will check on the desert. You guys keep talking." The hostess of the dinner got up and went to the kitchen with a troubled face.

Sai turned to Temari. "So, Temari-san, are you feeling alright?"

The young woman blinked. "Oh, I'm fine. Totally okay."

"You seemed a bit down when I saw you earlier, that's why I asked."

"She was freaking out over nothing." Explained Shikamaru.

That made Sai frown. "That's not very nice, Shikamaru. Some things may seem little for you, but they probably mean a lot for your fiancée or she wouldn't get upset about it."

"I know right! He never tries to see my point of view!" Temari complained, leaning in to Sai.

"Wait a second, that's not true!" Shikamaru tried to argue, but none of them paid attention to him.

"Like today: Shikamaru tried to convince me to take your wife as my maid of honor!"

Sai was aghast. "But you two hate each other!"

"I know! How dare him, right?!" Temari took a deep breath. "And moreover he kept insinuating that I'm unable to make female friends…"

"I've never said that! You said that on your own!" Shikamaru complained.

"That's not your fault, Temari-san, its just that women can have a hard time trying to deal with a strong willed person like you."

Temari shrugged. "Or maybe I'm not too feminine."

"That's also not true. You've got a fierce femininity."

Ino came back and sat down on her former place. She watched Sai and Temari - still caught up in lively chit-chat - for a second then shrugged and got back to her food.

"Can someone explain me this?" Asked Shikamaru pointing to the tittle-tattle pair.

Ino gave a half smile. "Ever since we started going out, Sai began to read women's magazine to 'understand me better'. In the end, he became an expert in the opposite sex." She took a sip of her sake. "I have a hard time trying to keep girls off him… But seeing him with Temari doesn't bothers me."

"And why it's that?"

She shrugged again. "She is so in love for you as you are for her."

After everyone went home, Temari and Shikamaru stayed behind to help with the dishes. After they were done, the host couple went to see them out.

"It was a very… interesting night." Said Shikamaru. "Instructive, to say the least."

"Yeah… But, actually, I've still got something to ask." Temari said with a shy smile.

'What? She will ask Ino, in the end?' Shikamaru thought, confused.

"Will you be my man of honor, Sai?" Asked the bride-to-be.

"What?!" Asked Ino and Shikamaru in unison.

"I would love to!" Agreed Sai.

"Really? Oh, my goodness! I'm so excited!"

"Me too! Actually, I just read in this month's issue of 'FireBride' that…"

Shikamaru and Ino stared at each other.

"Wanna come in and grab a beer?" She asked.

He stared again at the new pair of friends.

"... floral prints are super trendy…"

Then at Ino:

"Yup, beer would be good."